WASP News

Badges , Patches, and of course Branded Tee Shirts have always been an important element in Motorcycle culture, and not just at the Outlaw, or Bikie end of the Spectrum.

In the UK it was common practice to adorn a  riding jacket, or denim vest, with the badges from the rallies and events you had attended. Patches displaying your preferred brand of motorcycle were essential, and were more often than not important ice breakers in conversations with other riders, even if they didn’t share your passion for Triumphs etc….

There were unwritten rules of course, you wouldn’t wear a BSA Patch for example if you had never ridden one, and wearing a badge from a Rally you ever attended was considered very bad form. It was fun, and it also meant you could spot the Poseurs, from the hard core riders a mile off.  

The Badges you were most proud of, were the ones you worked hard to earn. You might travel hundreds or thousands of miles to secure a rally badge, or buy  a pin to show the world you finally got to own a machine you had coveted for an age. If you were in a social riding group, you might have a badge of Office from the club such as Treasurer, Secretary, or Beer Master. These badges took pride of place , worn over your heart…..

I still have a vast collection of badges from my days in the UK. Some of the designs are  beautiful, intricate and detailed, whilst others are just simple button badges that proudly declare ” I got cold and wet in a field in North Yorkshire one weekend” There were also funny badges, again that you had to earn….”Piston Broke” if you can ignore the dual meaning was another badge of honour that said “I’ve Wrecked an Engine.”

One of my favourites, until today at least,  is a badge from an event called the St Nicholas Rally. The rally was an international affair that took place in Oostende, a destination that was a choppy 12 hour ferry trip from the UK.  It was a December event, and was as the name suggests, all about celebrating Christmas. Thousands of riders from all across Europe gathered at the rally site, and enjoyed a weekend of partying, riding, and socialising. It was freezing cold, but there were camp fires dotted around the site, and a warm welcome from complete strangers. The common language was motorcycles and the currency that changed hands most often was Belgian Beer. I spent most of that weekend in the company of a small group of riders from Poland, with whom I formed a strong bond. 

Today, I have a new favourite badge, so today there was a tiny celebration in the Aston household….With not much to celebrate recently it was nice to have a moment that made me smile.

Amongst the piles of  bad news and tersely written demands for payment, delivered  by our cheerful postman, was a slightly chunkier piece of mail.. The envelope was hand written, and it  had letters WAWMR stamped on the rear…

The West Australian Womens Motorcycle Riders Club…….. The WAWMR.

 Inside the package was my welcome pack. I am a member…..

It has been incredibly hard work over the years to qualify for membership. But receiving the pack today was very satisfying. I feel like I really earned this honour, and as such, this is  one of those  badges that I really will cherish…….